


Scythe and Arrow

by Ink_Knight



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-06 07:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1848802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Knight/pseuds/Ink_Knight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy Summers visits her previously unknown cousins Oliver and Thea in Starling City after their mother's death.  There she gets caught up in the insanity that is Oliver's life and meets a whole group of very interesting people along the way.  (Set approximately five years post-Chosen and directly after the season 2 finale of Arrow, which means that yes I am bending time to my whim to make the timelines match up but it won't be explicitly mentioned or anything so you can just ignore it most of the time.  That's pretty much what I'm doing.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I may add other characters as the story progresses but those listed in the tags are the ones who will be playing major roles as far as I've planned for.

Sitting in her seat on a plane bound for a city that had been in the news far too often lately for her taste Buffy pondered what had put her on this journey. She'd been dealing with a minor apocalypse in Cleveland, running things from the sidelines and letting the younger slayers sharpen their skills on what really went for small potatoes in the slaying business. A few of the girls had been injured, but they hadn't lost any which counted as a win in her book. When she got up from the usual post-apocalypse crash the next day Dawn and Willow were in her room talking quietly by the end of her bed. Turned out than an aunt she hadn't even known she had, some long lost sister of her mother's, had been murdered by a sword-wielding lunatic several days ago. It had taken a while for the estate lawyers to find the Summers girls, and then she'd been busy with the whole apocalypse thing when they'd tracked them down so Giles and Dawn had dealt with their call and given them an address to send the details to.

So here she was, riding first class with her sister to Starling City courtesy of old Council funds that Giles had been repurposed after Sunnydale for the use of finding and training the new slayers. Buffy had a brief thought, as she always did when considering the surprisingly vast amount of money they now had access to, that managing it all was a job Anya would have loved. The immediate sting of the former demon's passing had faded a while ago, but she still missed her as well as everyone else she'd lost during her years in Sunnydale. The blonde slayer glanced to the seat next to her, the window seat because she really didn't want to look at the ground thousands of feet down below them as they flew, and smiled as she saw that Dawn had fallen asleep over the textbook in her lap. The younger Summers was studying Ancient Cultures and Languages, fully intending to become a Watcher after she'd graduated. Buffy wasn't exactly happy with that part but Dawn's reasoning was sound, like the fact that she actually enjoyed that stuff and wasn't just pursuing it because it would be useful to her sister's crazy job. 

The seatbelt light came on and Buffy automatically checked her sister's, buckling her back in when she saw that it was undone even as the brunette stirred and tried to stretch her long legs only to have them bump the seat in front of her halfway there. First class may have some extra room, leaving Buffy very comfortable, but it couldn't quite accommodate Dawnie's super-model length legs and the blonde stifled a laugh and the expression on her sister's face at that realization. A slim hand lazily swatted at her arm in tired annoyance while the other shut the heavy book and slid it into the back at their feet but Buffy just smiled. At least until the plane started to descend, at which point she grabbed onto the armrests, remembering at the last minute to curb her strength, and closed her eyes to run through what Willow had found out about Starling city rather than focus on their descent back to earth. 

The place had been a madhouse these last couple of years, but since none of the issues could be traced back to supernatural origins as far as Willow and her small team of Wiccans could tell information on it had never been passed onto Buffy. Though apparently they'd asked Faith to do a couple of passes through the city to check things out and she'd reported an almost disturbing lack of demons or vampires. A small surge of the all too familiar jealousy passed through her at the reminder that her friends had turned to Faith rather than her but she let it dissipate because what they had done made sense. Faith wasn't tied to one place like she was, and she'd already been in the general area anyway. So the blonde shifted her mind away from her fellow original Slayer and back towards the city they were landing in. Rife with crime and yet absolutely no supernatural presence, it was unsettling and something she'd definitely look into while she was in town. As well as checking up on that vigilante guy, just to cover all her bases. Besides, if she was going to be operating in his territory at all it was only common courtesy to try and get in touch with him.

Finally they touch down on the runway and Buffy lets out a slow breath of relief, side-eyeing her sister when she makes a sound that is suspiciously like a laugh as they lose speed and eventually stop moving all together. Dawn just put on her most innocent expression, not too different from the one Xander wore whenever they caught him doing something especially nerdy. But there was a hint of Spike's smug satisfaction in the curl of her lips, belying the innocence she was trying to portray and making Buffy shake her head and reconsider, not for the first time, her choice of babysitters when Dawn was younger. Before she could comment though the seatbelt light flicked off and a stewardess came down the aisle to remind everyone to make sure they had all of their luggage and wish them a pleasant time in Starling City. 

Buffy sighed and unbuckled herself, moving into the aisle to retrieve their luggage from the overhead rack. Hers hummed against her hand with the familiar warmth of the Scythe, mystically hidden from regular detection just like the small assortment of other weapons she'd brought along. Just in case. Dawn's suitcase on the other hand is weighed down with textbooks and prophecy books and books she reads for fun when she's not studying for school or slayage. Buffy has to wonder briefly if her sister even packed any clothes as she stands on her tiptoes to drag it down, muttering under her breath about people always making these things unnecessarily high up. Meanwhile Dawn scooped up their carry-on bag, which also had a couple of weapons hidden away inside it just in case, and slid past her sister to stand lead the way down the aisle and towards the exit. As usual when traveling with her friends Buffy played pack-mule, carrying her own duffel bag and pulling her sister's suitcase along as she followed the tall brunette.

Renting a car was ridiculously easy, they didn't even check Buffy's driving history even though she was pretty sure she was on the banned list for most rental companies by now. Slayer reflexes did not translate to driving, or at least that's the excuse she was sticking to despite that Faith and plenty of the younger slayers could drive just fine. Dawn still snagged the keys off the counter before she could though, fixing her older sister with a raised eyebrow when she would have protested until the blonde sighed and relented. She followed her out of the airport to their rental car and loaded their luggage in before sliding into the passenger seat, pulling her phone out to check the address of the hotel Willow had booked them a room in. Glancing at the time Buffy shook her head, surprised at how her body hadn't simply readjusted to being back in California time. Then again, she had been in Ohio for nearly five years now, so it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that she was a little jet-lagged.

So it really wasn't a surprise that when they arrived at their room she was more than ready to get a nap in before she did her first patrol of the strange city. She wanted to get a feel for the place, not quite able to believe that there were no vampires at all in a city of this size and level of chaos. It should have been drawing them in like flies, people disappearing all the time and written off as dead or runaways. The place should be crawling with the undead taking advantage of its' unfortunate circumstances. Though so far she hadn't gotten even a low-level buzz in her senses, which was very unnerving. Sighing she shook off her unease and changed into something more comfortable for napping in before climbing into one of the two queen-sized beds in the room, tuning out the sound of Dawn setting herself up at the table in the small kitchenette and drifting off easily.


	2. Vigilantes and a Slayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy checks out the night life of Starling City and meets some interesting people.

After a dinner of very good Chinese takeout with Dawn, Buffy headed out into the city to explore the nightlife. The scythe was slung across her back, shielded by a nifty little spell Willow had cooked up that didn't so much hide it as make it so that people didn't notice it was there as long as she didn't use it and they didn't touch it. After a look at a map of the city she took a taxi to the section called the Glades and decided that an aerial view would be best to start off with. So she made her way to the roof of the nearest building and looked out across the city that had been completely devastated twice in two years with the same almost clockwork schedule that apocalypse season had struck Sunnydale. It was intriguing to say the least. Her musings were interrupted by the scuff of a boot on the rough surface of the roof behind her and she spun, pulling the scythe off her back and crouching to peer at the figure standing across the roof from her.

“Didn't think I'd run into you so soon.” She commented dryly as she straightened, scythe at her side in a seemingly relaxed grip but ready to move into use if this guy proved to be a threat. She saw the hood shift as he cocked his head to the side, obviously put off balance by her casual acknowledgement.

“But you expected to run into me at some point.” He replied, voice distorted by something he'd tapped on his chest before speaking. It wasn't really a question, but it also wasn't entirely a statement either so she nodded in response.

“Of course, even though you guys don't have my kind of trouble I would feel completely off if I didn't patrol at least a couple of times while I'm in town.” Her tone was light-hearted, like it usually was when she was dealing with an unknown element. It usually led to them completely underestimating her. Which was always an advantage. This vigilante didn't seem to know what to do with it either and she could feel him staring at her under his hood. It made her smile, being the cryptic one was actually pretty fun. She could see why Angel used to do it so often. And no doubt this guy had a penchant for the same kind of thing.

“Your kind of trouble?” He finally asked and she smirked slightly, shrugging.

“I can't make it that easy for you. But I can give you a hint: Sunnydale.” She grinned before wiggling her fingers in a wave and turning away. Before he could really react she jumped to the next roof, farther away than he would have been able to manage without some kind of help, and then scrambled down the fire escape before disappearing into the night. Feeling pretty happy with that little meeting she resettled the scythe on her back and pulled out her phone, calling Willow.

“Hey, someone's probably gonna be poking around in old Sunnydale records pretty soon. Yeah, that hooded guy in Starling. Might give you an in to figure out who his hacker is, I doubt it's him personally.” She spoke quickly, updating her friend so she wouldn't be caught off guard when whatever system she had watching computer records of good old Sunnydale pinged. Or whatever it was she had set up to keep an eye on things, Buffy didn't really get all that computer mumbo jumbo any more than she did when they were in high school.

After Willow acknowledged and made sure she had her systems ready for it they fell into good old fashioned girl-talk. Trouble with Kennedy again it seemed, which Buffy wasn't really surprised by but she nodded and made sympathetic noises as her best friend ranted. Really the other slayer was too young for the witch, and too insecure. She was hung up on trying to replace Tara, which kind of served her right for pushing her way into Willow's life when the redhead had obviously not been ready for a new relationship in the senior Slayer's mind. Then again, the girl got on her nerves in a major way so she wasn't exactly impartial. When she heard the sounds of a fight up ahead Buffy quickly said goodbye and hung up, reaching back for her scythe but not drawing it just yet as she moved to scout out the situation.

What she saw was a kid in a red hoodie whaling on some gang-banger while a blonde woman obviously wearing a wig crouched on a fire escape nearby and watched him carefully. He fought like a junior slayer, all force and no finesse and the part of her that had been teaching said slayers had her itching to step in and correct his form. But she hung back, watching as the woman swung down from her perch and pulled the guy back from the very battered thug on the pavement in front of them.

“You need to calm down. There might be some side-effects of the drug left over, but you're definitely not super-human anymore. And fighting with your rage is never a good idea anyway.” She counseled, voice disguised like the hooded guy's had been and Buffy snorted with a shake of her head as she stepped out of the shadows.

“You're lucky that guy wasn't used to melee combat, with how much you telegraphed every move.” She commented, offering them a friendly smile and studying their reactions as they noted her presence. The kid spun around and lifted his fists, revealing a red mask over his eyes and sharply chiselled features. The woman moved more liesurely, proving Buffy's theory that she probably already knew she was there. She moved like a slayer almost, definitely like a seasoned warrior who knew her own body, but didn't tingle in her senses like one so she knew she was just a well-trained human. The kid on the other hand was obviously still learning, because he lunged forward at Buffy without pausing to find out her intentions or skill-level. Resisting the urge to 'tsk' at him like a junior slayer she side-stepped his attack, helping him along with a tap on the back and a foot hooked around his ankle so that his own momentum sent him tumbling to the ground. Then she lifted her hands before the woman could attack her.

“I'm not looking for a fight here.” She assured, keeping an eye on the boy just in case he decided to attack again. He looked like he would but one look from his companion stopped him. The woman walked closer and Buffy's stance shifted, ready to defend herself if necessary as she watched her move. They were nearly the same height, Buffy maybe an inch shorter, and when their eyes met something familiar passed between them. Some knowledge that only warriors could really share with one another and understand. The woman nodded and moved past her, grabbing the boy by the back of his hoodie and pulling him along as she left. Buffy watched them go with her head tilted to the side, expression thoughtful as they disappeared into the night. Shrugging it off she checked the time and decided she should probably get back to the hotel room, it was better to be well-rested when dealing with lawyers. And it wasn't like there were any vampires to slay here. She swung by a 24-hour corner store on the way back and picked up some ice cream, knowing Dawn would still be up, before heading back to share it with her sister and speculate about their new family members.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long for me to get this chapter up. But I hope you all enjoy it!

For a couple of hours the morning of the reading it was almost like when Dawn was still in high school. Fighting to get her out of bed and ready for the day was a familiar battle and one that had Buffy smiling once her sister was in the bathroom to take a shower. When the brunette came out again, in a slightly better mood and dressed in the black slacks, blue button-down, and black blazer she'd picked out for this, Buffy was also dressed in her own slacks and a red sleeveless blouse and had already made a run to pick up coffee and breakfast from the little cafe in the lobby. 

Really, council funds were a godsend when it came to staying in hotels that were actually decent instead of fleatrap motels. Dawn fell on the food like she'd been starving and Buffy rolled her eyes fondly at her antics, eating her own food quickly and then taking care of the last necessities before they were ready to leave. Dawn delayed them another five minutes past when Buffy was ready but eventually they were on their way.

“So where are we going for this thing again?” She asked as they stepped into the elevator, ignoring the way her sister rolled her eyes in order to straighten the fall of her blouse's neckline.

“Queen Consolidated. Oliver, the eldest, runs it and has the space so they're holding the reading in one of the conference rooms there. It's downtown, I'll drive.” Dawn replied firmly, pulling the keys out of Buffy's purse with a pointed look that made the blonde shrug and smile.

“Alright then, let's go.” And despite being shorter, even in four-inch heels since Dawn had to go and wear heels too, Buffy made her sister have to lengthen her stride to keep up just because she could. They may be adults now, but they were still sisters and sometimes you had to annoy your sister just because. During the ride Buffy flipped through the radio stations, catching a news bulletin about something the vigilante had done the night before and listening curiously.

They arrived before she could take in more than the basics; a gang of thieves found tied to a chainlink fence with their loot right there with them and their own phone used to call the police. But the hooded archer had been long gone by the time the cops had arrived on the scene. It was interesting but still not her sort of thing so she tuned out the rest of the news report as they pulled up to the parking garage next to the QC building. 

Dawn rolled down the window to tell the security guy why they were there and he handed her a pass to stick on the dashboard. The trip from the parking garage up to the conference room in the office building was uneventful and soon they were standing outside the door face to face with a large black man who had the stern manner of a professional bodyguard.

“Buffy and Dawn Summers, apparently our mom was Moira Queen's sister.” The introduction earned them a raised eyebrow.

“John Diggle, Oliver Queen's bodyguard. Let me just check with the lawyers inside, no one mentioned Mrs. Queen having a sister.” He replied and Buffy nodded her understanding, turning her attention to studying the office-space they stood in. There was a corner office through a glass wall and then past that, on the other side of the corner from this room, was the conference room. This was apparently a secretary's office. Likely for the CEO's personal assistant. They watched Mr. Diggle, and people made fun of the name Buffy, step into the conference room and discuss something with the people grouped in there. Most of them looked as surprised as he had been, but the guy with the very distinct lawyerly air nodded to him at which point the Summers sisters just let themselves in.

“Mom never mentioned a sister.” A brunette who looked shockingly like Dawn said, voice just shy of a verbal attack. Buffy shrugged in return.

“Neither did ours. And we don't really care about the will, just so you know. It's not every day you learn you have family you've never heard of before.” She snarked back, eyes flicking to the man sitting beside her briefly. A lawyer-type cleared his throat where he sat on the girl's other side.

“It is written in her will that she wants you children to meet her side of the family, even though she had kept herself apart from them since she left home.” He spoke with an accent and with the way the two Queens looked at him Buffy revised her view of him from lawyer to family.

“I'm Dawn, and this is my sister Buffy. Like she said, we're not here looking for handouts. But our mom died several years ago and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet some more family.” Dawn's tone was more polite than Buffy's, smoothing over any ruffled feathers her older sister might have caused with the ease of long practice. Finally the youngest man in the room stood, absently straightening his suit jacket as he did so. His green eyes locked on Buffy's and he nodded before turning his thoughtful gaze to Dawn.  
“I'm Oliver, this is Thea. I can see how we might be related, your sister looks a lot like mine.” He replied, flashing Buffy a charming smile that had her responding in kind even as she moved her opinion of him up a few notches. She'd done some reading on their new cousins before they left, and Oliver was supposed to be a party-boy who had mellowed only a little during his time lost at sea. But she knew a mask when she saw one, especially when it was so similar to the one she used to wear to school. Before she accepted that being a Slayer was more than just a night-time gig. He gestured for them to sit, snapping Buffy out of her thoughts and she settled into the chair across from him with Dawn next to her.

"If we could return to the matter at hand." An actual lawyer spoke from where he stood at the end of the table and Buffy mimed zipping her lips, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth while her eyes showed amusement and a general mockery of suited authority figures despite her staying silent. Of course Dawn also elbowed her in the ribs, drawing a soft grunt from her elder sister and causing the Queen siblings to look down at the table briefly to hide their own amusement with the interplay. But then everyone settled in for the reading of Moira Dearden Queen's final will and testament.


End file.
